6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A war veteran EMT finds himself defending a man from a biker gang intent on landing their quarry.
Starring: Mike Mizanin, Maryse Mizanin, Heath Miller, Trinity Fatu, Anna Van HooftAction | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin (Simplified), Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The Marine 5: Battleground may feature the largest roster of WWE Superstars ever assembled for the screen, but it's hardly the Royal Rumble. Maybe more like the Elimination Chamber. And with a blend of B-list stars (even if The Miz bills himself as an A-lister) and borderline jobbers, it's hard to see it as some sprawling, all-in WWE production. The Miz, who is a solid actor both in the ring and in film -- he was impressive The Marine 4: Moving Target -- can't save The Marine 5, easily, and by a far, the worst film in the series. Slow, dark, uncreative, and struggling to piece together its story with any flavor or purpose, the film flops about through boring backdrops, dull characters, and unimaginative shootouts, culminating in a flatline finale that mercifully brings this sloth of a film to an end.
The Marine 5: Battleground was digitally photographed, and with the bland costumes and backgrounds the movie is hardly a visual feast for the eyes. It's more or less technically sound, though, with noise only spiking on occasion in some of the darker and lower light scenes, which are many, but not always a showcase for source noise. Other technical maladies, either source or encode, are few and far between. The image generally fares well enough at the baseline. Details aren't always crisp, but the white EMT uniforms and patches come close. Biker attire is darker, and blended into so many darker backgrounds doesn't often have a chance to shine, but some leathery textures stand out well enough when the opportunity arises with more light. The garage's concrete textures are adequately rigid and tactile, again when the movie offers enough light for the viewer to notice. Colors are neither here nor there, offering enough pop -- particularly some bright yellow accent painting in the garage -- to please when environments allow. Red blood stands out nicely in some of the later stages. Black levels usually hold deep, particularly at night, and avoid crush even in more challenging black-on-black situations. Flesh tones appear accurate. This is not a bad transfer; the movie just isn't very attractive.
The Marine 5: Battleground features a fairly straightforward action-oriented DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is fair, though even some of the more aggressive Rock notes to start the movie get a bit lost under the heavy motorcycle engine sounds. Spacing is fair, though, and while surround engagement isn't plentiful, there's enough wrap to satisfy. Dialogue gets lost at a bar sequence early on but never suffers that same fate again for the duration. Voices do echo very naturally, widely, and diffusely throughout the parking garage, offering full-on surround usage that pulls the listener right into the movie. Gunfire struggles at the beginning but picks up considerably in the garage and later outside. Punch and zip satisfy.
The Marine 5: Battleground contains two featurettes. No DVD or digital versions are included.
The Marine 5: Battleground doesn't even rise to the level of a knock-off Die Hard, which the movie becomes in its final 30 or so minutes. The basic plot line is decent enough: how far will a paramedic go to save the life of someone he doesn't know? Decent enough premise, but horrible execution. The setting is dreadful, the action is bland, and the performances lack spirit (blame the script more than the actors). This is easily the worst in the Marine franchise, not exactly a classic series but, until now, a collection passable Action time killers. The Marine 5 doesn't sour the other films, but it sets a bad precedent for the WWE's marquee Action franchise going forward. Sony's Blu-ray offers stable video and audio. A couple of throwaway extras are included. Skip it.
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Wrestlemania 31
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2-Disc Collector's Edition
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